Fantasy and Heavy Metal: What is its role?

Since its inception, heavy metal has been influenced by other worlds. It draws inspiration from vast, mysterious lands and is dark and ominous. Metal’s very nature is to explore the darkest parts of humanity, our psyche, and even our own nature. Fantasy, whether it is literature, movies, sculpture or paintings, often explores the dark and mysterious sides of life. It is often viewed through the eyes of magical creatures and realms and presented to its fans for consumption.

These two worlds are very similar and have been running parallel for as long as heavy music has existed.

Hard rock pioneers used fantasy themes in their music. This trend hasn’t changed, even though it has been a tradition. Heavy metal is known for its lyrics about demons, wizards, magic and other realms. This makes it a popular form of escapism and a way to escape inner turmoil.

It is not unusual to find bands that devote their entire discography to fantasy stories or tales from Lewis, Tolkien, Lewis and other literary greats. This devotion to fantasy is often reflected in the band’s name, album art, lyrics and themes, as well as live shows.

Fans of heavy metal and fantasy may share some similarities. A fan’s interest in either heavy metal or fantasy can lead them to it through their own research or recommendations from friends.

It is hard to criticize the influence of fantasy music on heavy metal. The literary genre has actually helped to improve a genre that could easily become stagnant, if it wasn’t for its open-minded approach and willingness to accept the contributions of its pioneers. There are many fantasy themes, no matter where you look in the world of heavy metal. Both genres are constantly changing so it will be exciting to see how they interact and how metal music might influence fantasy.